Catalog
10 Pesos
| Issuer | Provincia de Buenos Aires - Ministerio de Hacienda / Aduana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Printed on aged laid paper within a rectangular Greek-key border, the note bears the circular seal of the Provincia de Buenos Aires at upper centre, dated 1820, with manuscript serial number and denomination at top. The central legend reads VALE POR DIEZ PESOS in bold letterpress, beneath which a two-line text in italic script specifies acceptability at customs for maritime and overland imports. Two manuscript signatures appear in the lower portion, with two circular cancellation holes punched through the seal and the denomination area. |
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| Obverse lettering | N° / Provincia y grado / VALE POR DIEZ PESOS. / Admisibles en Aduana en introducciones maritimas y terrestres. |
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| Comments |
Among the earliest quasi-fiscal paper instruments issued on the Río de la Plata, this Provincia de Buenos Aires customs note predates the founding of the Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires by over a decade. The Ministerio de Hacienda resorted to issuing these obligations through the Aduana — the customs house — because no formal banking infrastructure yet existed to manage provincial liquidity. Essentially a government IOU backed by anticipated customs revenue, not by specie reserves.
1820 was a catastrophic year for the former Viceroyalty: the Battle of Cepeda in February dissolved the central government entirely, leaving Buenos Aires to function as an autonomous province managing its own finances in a vacuum. These notes circulated in that wreckage.